The Forgotten Flames
by PerryHotter31
Summary: When Rachel Smythe receives a letter she shouldnt have, the world is turned upside down. Crazy Family Fueds, tangled love lifes, and a whole new side of the Marauders. Can Rachel find the secrets of her shattered past?
1. Default Chapter

CHAPTER 1 – A Cold Night's Start

The night was cold and unwelcoming. Dark clouds that had been there all day covered the stars overhead. The moon was covered in shadow.

The people of Morgan Way were snuggled warm in their beads, sheltered from the biting wind. Four Men Stalked down the street, unnoticed by the sleepers. The group slowed, and walked up the drive if house number three.

"_Alhoamora," _hissed the tallest man.

The door opened slowly. Pushing the door open further, the four men slipped inside. Directly in front of them, were stairs leading up to the second floor.

"Up there," whispered another man, pointing to the stairs.

Slowly, they crept up the stairs, casting odd shadows around them. When the reached the landing, the paused and looked around.

"Wands out!" the tallest man hissed again, "Follow me"

They started down the hall, passing two doors and an open closet.

"This is the room," the shortest man said, much to loudly.

"Shh! You'll wake them Nott!" the tallest man exclaimed.

"Im afraid you already have Tom," a rough voices said from behind them.

"Pete—"

"I know what you want, and my answer is no." Peter said firmly.

" Your answer should be yes! Come back to the magical world Pete. Join us! It can only get better from where you are."

"Why would I, when that is exactly what I spent most of my life campaigning against! Im not joining you, and that's final Tom."

"My name is not Tom. I no longer wish to have my father's name. I will create a name that everyone, even you, will fear!"

"Well I hope your not going for the whole, 'I am Lord Voldemort', business. Honestly, you just respelled your name. It's so _tacky_." A female voice sounded from a room behind the group. They turned to look at her.

"You'll join us Renee. I know you will." Tom said

"Tom, no. I can't. I don't want to." She said.

"It will be like the old days. Back at school." Tom said almost pleadingly.

"Those days are gone," Peter said, " we don't want anything to do with magic, and we don't agree with what you are doing either. We just can't do this.

Tom was becoming more and more frustrated. The men with him were becoming more and more bored.

"Tom stop. Go home. Get some rest. You look like you need it. We aren't going to do what you say, no matter how many times you ask." Renee said, tired.

"Damn it Renee! I need more people to do this right, more people to make this work!" Tom yelled. He grabbed Renee, and started to shake her. "You have to!"

"Tom stop! Stop! Please," Renee pleaded, trying to get away.

"Don't you dare hurt her Tom!" Peter said, pushing him back.

"I thought I could count on you!" Tom shouted pushing Peter into the wall behind them.

"What is your problem? Get out of here!" Peter shouted.

"Your entire plan is just bollocks! We said no! And that's it! No!" Renee said angrily.

"You forget," Tom said icily, " You have four powerful wizards, ready to kill you in an instant. You dare question my authority? You dare stand up to Lord Voldemort? And you don't even have your wands!"

"Yeah well, we still know how to disapparate, so don't get your hopes up."

"Well know your just asking for it." Tom hissed.

"Go, Tom. Just go. We aren't saying yes to anything." Peter said

"You know too much now. Either join us or die!" Tom yelled, pulling his wand out from his robes.

"I would rather die than join you and your lot." Renee spat.

"Fine then," Tom raised his wand, "_avada_—"

"NO!" Renee shouted

"Changed your minds then?"

"Not a chance my friend. We'll be going now." Peter said, and with that, they disapparated.

"Damn it!" Tom said with a stomp.

"Sir—"

"Burn the house."

A/N

Hehe! This is the first chapter, so I'll be getting some more up soon.

Obviously, I don't own any of this that looks familiar. I just made up the story. Some of this got screwed up so a lot of my notes are missing… Ahh well… The next part will make slightly more sense. Don't worry.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 – Arrival

Rachel Smythe sighed as she boarded the scarlet train. With some difficulty she pulled her suitcases, book bags, and viola on the train, and into an empty compartment towards the back. From looking at the other kids, she was the only one who didn't bring a trunk.

_Why am I always the odd man out? I should have just shoved everything into that trunk. And I definitely should have left this stupid viola home… _

She pulled out a very tattered looking piece of paper and unfolded it.

It doesn't say anything about instruments, so I guess I can bring mine… I feel stupid though…

Rachel had taken to feeling out of place for quite some time now. She had been weird all her life. She had very big, brown, curly hair that she liked to keep back in a messy bun. She had big brown eyes, fair skin, and square jaw. Rachel didn't have too many friends at her normal school.

Sure, there were the kids that were in orchestra with her, but those were basically her only friends. People tended to steer clear of her when she walked down the hallway. She had a knack for causing odd things to happen, at just about the worst times possible.

One time, during lunch (when she was particularly angry) the lunch food caught on fire as she walked by. Another time, when she was helping a teacher copy papers, the whole room caught on fire, after somebody called her " a brown-noser". There were a slew of other times, where she was at the site of a fire.

Most of the time, people called her a pyromaniac. Some of the smarter kids at school realized that every time there was a fire, she was usually angry. This didn't make for a good reputation.

Im already off to a bad start at a new school… Jeesh I wish my parents would have told me about this…

_"You are not going to that school! I don't care what you say; you are not going there! EVER! It's a hoax!" Her mother yelled_

"_But mum! Why didn't you tell me what I was? Why did you hide this all from me?"_

_"Because none of it is true Rachel! Why cant you just listen to us!" Her father shouted._

_"Dad! Mum! PLEASE! Just let me go for a year. Or until Christmas. I just want to see what this thing is about!"_

_"NO."_

Rachel sighed once more, and pulled a sheet of paper out of her bag. She started to write a letter.

Dear mum and dad,

I am sorry I ran off like that. But you have to understand. Kids at school think im awful, and this will be a new start for me. I'll think of Hogwarts as a new page.

Don't worry about money or anything. I'll be fine until Christmas. That's when im coming home. We can talk more then

You must tell people that I went to a Swedish boarding school. That's where I told them I was going. And what ever you do, DON'T tell people what I am. I will be in huge trouble, and we might even be put in jail! So just say I went to boarding school.

I'll send letters every week. I miss you lots. Please don't be too angry with me. I just had to go.

Much love—

As she signed her name, the compartment door slid open, and in stepped three girls.

The first girl to enter had blue eyes, blond hair and a round face. The next girl had, dark brown eyes, a long nose, and bright pink hair. The last girl to walk in was green-eyed, with long pretty, red hair.

"And this is our comp—" The girl with the red hair started, stopping short when she saw Rachel. "Hello, uh, your—your in our compartment."

"Oh. Im really sorry, but there weren't any others, compartments I mean. I'll leave though." Rachel blushed and started to gather her things.

"Oh no that's ok! Really. It's just that, this is the worst compartment out of all of them. Nobody ever comes in here." The blond haired girl said quickly.

"Hi then, im Rachel." She said, extending her hand.

"Im Alice" the blond haired girl said. "Nice to meet you"

"Im Lily" the red haired girl said, shaking her hand.

"And im Nymphadora. But really, just call me Tonks. I hate my first name." Said the last girl. "Should I change my hair Lily? I just saw my reflection, and I look funny."

"Well if you want. Why don't you just go normal for the first day, and then play around." Lily answered her.

Soon Tonks' face began to change shape, and her hair began to lengthen and turn brown.

"Whoa. How did you do that?" Rachel asked, amazed

"Im an animagius" Tonks said. Rachel just stared blankly at her.

"Right then, I'll go if this is your compartment

"No no, its ok!" Alice said quickly "Really. We don't mind."

"Thanks guys," Rachel said with relief. She did not want to start of the year on the wrong side of anybody.

"So," Lily said sitting down across from Rachel, "are you a first year?"

"What's that?"

"Is this your first year at Hogwarts?"

"Oh! Yes, yes it is. How about you?"

"Well Alice and I are fifth years in Gryffindor—"

"You've been here for FIVE years? When did you start?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"When I was eleven. Like everyone else…"

"But then how is that? Im fifteen. So how am I in a different year?"

"Wait… Its your first year here?" Alice asked

"Yes! This is the first time I got a letter from Hogwarts." Rachel said.

"And you're fifteen?" Lily asked.

"Yes I am, I don't underst—" Rachel started. "Ugggg! Im going to kill my parents! They must have hid my letters! I must have gotten to this letter before them!"

"Why wouldn't your parents want you to get your letters?" Lily asked.

"Well they certainly didn't want me to come this year. We had a huge row. They told me I couldn't go, and gave me all these crazy excuses. But I ran away anyway, and went to Kings Cross Station, to get on the train here. Why wouldn't they want me to come to Hogwarts?" Rachel said. The compartment was silent for a moment.

"What's your last name again?" asked Tonks.

"Smythe…"

The girls looked at each other.

Lily raised her eyebrow.

"That's why."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 – Into the Castle

Four boys were sitting in their compartment. One had an unruly mass of black hair, and glasses. The boy next to him had light blond hair, and many freckles. Across from the blond boy, sat the third boy, who also had blond hair, but was a little shorter than the rest of them. And next to him, was the fourth boy, who had longer, black hair. He was standing on the seat, trying to push his trunk onto the shelf above him.

"Sirius. Let me do it, I'm taller." The freckled boy said. He stood up and walked over to him.

"No! I told you I can do it!" He said, still struggling to push the box in.

"Frank, leave him be. If he hurts himself, it'll be all his fault." The boy with the messy hair said, sniggering.

"Stop it guys!" Sirius shouted, turning away from the trunk to yell at them. The trunk slid out from the shelf, and hit him in the back of the head, knocking him over.

Thethree boys still unharmed looked down at Sirius. The smaller blond boy started to laugh.

"Shut it Peter." Sirius said, sitting up. "I'm FINE."

The boy with messy hair stood up, and put Sirius' trunk back on the shelf.

"James! I could have done it!" He shouted, clearly annoyed.

"Siri—" James started, but was cut off. The door of the compartment had just slid open.

"Hey guys." Said the boy who was walking into the compartment. He was pale and thin, with light brown hair.

"Remus!" Frank said happily

"How was the prefect meeting?" James asked.

"Not bad actually. We have a new student actually. Not counting the first years. She's in our year. One of the Smythes." Remus said, raising an eyebrow. The boys were silent for a moment. Sirius stopped looking annoyed.

"So…" Frank said, "The Smythes are back in town."

"What?" Rachel said, bewildered. "I don't understand…"

"Your parents were magical too. Didn't you know that?" Lily said slowly.

"No! They never told me anything! I ran away to come here. Why wouldn't they tell me that?"

"Your parents left the magical world, a few years after they left school… I thought everyone knew that." Lily said.

"Well apparently not seeing as how I have lived a good 15 years of my life as a normal person, and this has been some big secret that the world has tried to cover up." Rachel said angrily.

"Well not the world, per se…" Alice added

"What?" Rachel asked, turning to Alice.

'Well the muggles haven't."

"Muggles?"

"Non magical people." Alice informed her.

"Ok so not the world… but a whole lot of people!" Rachel said throwing her hands up.

Just then the compartment door opened again.

"Look who's in here." a male voice drawled.

"I don't remember inviting you in Potter." Lily said icily.

"Well we aren't here to see you, Evans. We want to meet the new girl." Another male voice said. He pushed the compartment door open all the way.

It was Sirius Black, along with James, Remus, Frank, and Peter. The group walked in.

"Alice." Frank said

"Frank." She replied.

"So this is the new girl." James said, looking at Rachel. He held out his hand. "I'm James Potter."

Sirius stepped forward. "Sirius Black." He said, shaking her hand.

"Remus Lupin"

"He's prefect this year." Sirius said.

"I'm Frank Longbottom" Frank said shaking Rachel's hand.

"I'm Peter Pettigrew." The last boy said.

She shook all of their hands, and said hello.

"I'm Rachel Smythe." She said, "Peter, my father's name is Peter as well."

"Awful common name, it is." Sirius said. "He hates it, we hate it. You'll hate it too. That's why we call him Geraldo."

Peter opened his mouth in protest. "But—"

"Yes that's right Geraldo, we know you just love your new name." Sirius said clapping him on the shoulder. Rachel started to laugh.

"Ooo what's this?" Sirius said picking up Rachel's viola.

But before she could answer him, he had opened the clasps on the case.

Her viola fell out, and crashed to the floor, breaking into pieces.

Rachel stared at the broken pieces that were once her viola.

"You IDIOT!" she shouted, bending down to pick up the pieces. "You broke my viola!"

"Er—" Sirius stammered, "I'm sorry. Um, what's a viola?"

"Its like a violin, only bigger. " She reached up and yanked the case out of his arms. "I don't know why I ever felt the need to bring this thing." She was hastily shoving the splinters of wood into the case.

Sirius bent down and started to help her.

"No!" Rachel shouted, "No just go away. I don't want you messing it up anymore. I'll fix it later."

"Rachel…" Lily started.

"What?"

"You don't know any spells. How are you going to fix it?"

"With glue, just like everybody else does." Rachel said, standing up.

Sirius pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the pile of wood. "Reparo" He said. The pieces shook around, and came together to re-form her viola. In a few seconds, the instrument was as good as new.

"Sorry about that, really." Sirius apologized again.

"Erm, thanks I guess." Rachel said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah…" Rachel answered.

"Why do you have so many bags?" Sirius asked.

Rachel groaned and put a hand on her brow. "I didn't know we needed trunks and such. Actually I had practically no time to do anything to get ready really. I just kinda threw stuff in bags and left."

"I take it you haven't been to Wizarding School." James said.

"Of course I haven't. Doesn't everybody know that? I mean you all know the story of what my parents did." Rachel said throwing her hands up.

"Rachel… don't get so upset," Alice, said, "I'm sure that you will get all caught up with you lessons and such."

"Yeah Rachel, I don't know anything either." Tonks said.

"Oi! Tonks! I didn't know you were starting this year!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yup." She turned to Rachel, "he's my second cousin, once removed or something."

"I see…"

"Guys we have to get our robes on, or we are going to be late!" Lily said suddenly.

"Ahh! Ok go guys go!" Remus said quickly.

The boys started to leave the compartment. Sirius turned to Rachel.

"Again, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to break it or anything." He said.

"Yeah yeah, its ok. I don't know why I brought it anyway."

"Sirius! Lets go! The train already stopped!" James was standing in the doorway.

"See you…" he said quickly, and left.

"They are the biggest gits!" Lily exclaimed, pulling on her robes.

"That was the nicest I've seen Sirius in a while." Alice said.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked as she searched through her many bags, trying to find her robes.

"Well usually, we are in a full out war with each other." Lily explained.

A loud voice said "First years! This way!"

Tonks jumped up. "I have to go! Thanks for letting me share a compartment with you guys."

"No problem Tonks! See you at the sorting." Alice said as Tonks left.

"What do you mean 'full out war'? They seem nice enough." Rachel said.

"Wait till you cross one of their hexes. You'll change your mind pretty fast."

"Come on lets go! We are probably the only ones still on the train!" Lily said.

"But all our stuff—" Rachel said

"Just leave it, the house elves will get it."

"Er… ok…"

The girls managed to get off the train just before it started to pull away. They clambered into the last boat, and soon were on their way towards the castle.

"That's brilliant!" Rachel exclaimed, pointing to the castle.

Alice grinned. "Wait till you see it on the inside."

"Hey did you see if Alexa made it on the train?" Lily asked Alice.

"Umm no, I didn't. I think she would have found us if she did make it" Alice replied.

"Alexa is prefect this year too," Lily said, turning to Rachel. "Alexa shares a dorm with us. You probably will too, if you are sorted into our house. The girl who used to share with us was a seventh year, so she left last year."

"My old school had houses too. We had the houses for music, sports, arts, science and maths, English and history, and drama and dancing. I was in the music house." Rachel explained.

"Oh, we only have four houses. Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff. You'll see when we get there."

Soon the boat had slowed down, and the girls had reached the shore of the lake. A very angry looking woman was waiting on shore.

"That's Professor McGonagall." Alice said to Rachel. "I wonder what she's doing down here."

"Miss Smythe!" she called, walking swiftly over to her. "Miss Smythe, Where have you been? We need you to go with the first years to be sorted."

"I'm sorry I didn't know." Rachel apologized.

"It is no matter now, just follow me. Quickly now!"

"Bye guys!" Rachel said to Lily and Alice. She turned and followed Professor McGonagall.

A/N

Thanks BlackWiltedRose! I'm really glad you reviewed. This is my first fic ever and I'm not having much luck with it. This chapter was for you.

Smythe (pronounced smEYEth dictionary style ;)the final e is silent) is the surname of a very old Welsh family. The really old part is going to be important later on in the story.

Stay tuned for chapter four...


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